The meeting was held at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya on 23-27 May and saw 25 resolutions adopted on issues ranging from sustainable consumption and production, the sound management of chemicals and waste and fighting the illegal trade in wildlife.

UNEA is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment while a majority of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted last year are directly related to the environment. The second session of UNEA featured a high level plenary on how the environment community will set out to achieve the SDGs, a ministerial policy review session to identify policies on air quality and chemicals and waste and the launch of a report on Healthy Environment, Healthy People with recommendations for a strong economy with a healthy environment and good human health.

The meeting, which also set out UNEP’s work for the coming years, was attended by some 2,500 delegates from 174 countries.

Side events organised by UNEP bodies based in Europe included a high-level event on partnerships for sustainable development in the Himalayas, one on how migratory species and green energy can co-exist and the launch of a marine litter assessment. Important technical and legal steps were also taken by two subsidiary bodies of the Basel Convention during meetings held back-to-back with UNEA-2.

For more information please contact isabelle.valentiny@unep.org